Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Soup

 

 

This is unusual of me - a recipe post with only one photo, but given that it is mid-October (a particularly busy time for me), I am happy to be posting anything :)  Please forgive my lack of photos, but this recipe really does not involve a lot of steps.  

 

The recipe comes from Canadian Living's New Slow Cooker Favorites, which I picked up at Value Village.  I also picked up a slow cooker recipe by Ricardo, and I enjoyed making lasagna in the slow cooker.  As an aside, I always find it fun to check out some new recipe books (second hand is even better), if you are looking for some inspiration, which I was.  This recipe is super simple to make and really, it could be made on the stove.  For me, it was the principle of the thing...I wanted to try out the Slow Cooker Function on our Instant Pot.

 

This recipe is also completely freezer-friendly.  I know this because this is exactly what I did with it.  I thawed it in the fridge, re-heated it, and served it with the toppings I had (shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives).  Really, this soup is so simple, it really does need these toppings.  The flavor is good, but without the toppings, it does not look very appetizing.

Ingredients

5 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 slices bacon, chopped (or you can cheat like me and use pre-cooked bacon)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. rosemary

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

Garnish

1 cup shredded old Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup crumbled bacon (about 5 slices)

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup sour cream 

Method

In slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, bacon, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Pour in stock.  Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours.  (I wanted to cook this faster, so cooked mine on high for 2 hours).  Skim off fat, if there is any (I used pre-cooked bacon and I did not have any fat on the surface).  Using immersion blender (my favorite kitchen tool when it comes to soups!), puree soup until smooth. 

Garnish:  Ladle soup into bowls.  Garnish with Cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream.  (This makes 6-8 servings).

OR you can freeze and re-heat later.

In the photo above, you can see that I served this simple soup with a simple comfort food, reminiscent of home: tuna cheddar melts.  I combined drained tuna with mayonnaise and seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon dill dressing from Epicure.  You could use dill if you have that.  Taste and adjust seasoning. Spread on slices of bread; top with grated cheddar, and broil until ready (I like mine to be toasty).  I served this combination to my family recently, and it went over very well.

And I just realized I have another photo:

Enjoy!